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One-nil to the Arsenal at Anfield as champs go back top
Steve Douglas •  November 2nd, 2026 10:24 am
Arsenal players salute their fans at Anfield after their first win at Liverpool in 14 years | Photo: EPA
Arsenal have eked out their first win at Anfield in 14 years by beating Liverpool 1-0 through Kai Havertz's first-half goal to climb to first place in the Premier League.
Not since 2012 — when current manager Mikel Arteta was commanding the team's midfield — had the champions won at Liverpool's intimidating home ground but the famous old chant 'one-nil to the Arsenal' sounded sweet to all the Gunners' fans.
Because the curse was broken on Sunday by Havertz, who slotted home a close-range finish at the back post after a low cross across the face of goal by all-action midfielder Declan Rice in the 16th minute.
Mikel Arteta was all smiles after his Arsenal champions went back to the top of the table | Photo: EPA
Arsenal then defended doggedly, especially in the first half when the visitors were pinned back by Liverpool, to keep their sixth clean sheet in nine games of a title defence that is going according to plan.
"In the end, that defensive line, the way we stick together, that togetherness we have, is undefeated," Rice said. "It's nothing I've ever seen before."
With this eighth victory of the campaign, the Gunners leapfrogged Manchester City into top spot.
Perhaps more presciently, given the uncertainty surrounding City's future following their guilty verdict for large-scale financial rule-breaking, Arsenal are now five points ahead of third-place Brighton – the only team to defeat the defending champions so far.
The loss breaks a run of five-straight wins by Liverpool since their only previous defeat this season — by Man City, also at Anfield on October 11.
During the furious onslaught in the final 25 minutes of the first half, Florian Wirtz struck the crossbar with a free kick, Alexis Mac Allister headed over the bar when unmarked and Liverpool had a number of penalty appeals waved away.
Ultimately, though, the hosts didn't have a shot on target all match and stayed in fifth place, already nine points behind Arsenal.
And the only goal was avoidable on Liverpool's part.
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker attempted a short pass out from the back at a goal kick but it got intercepted by Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, setting up a counter-attack.
The ball was fed to the right, where Rice — on the overlap — threaded a cross between Alisson and Liverpool's defenders, teeing up Havertz for an easy finish to become the all-time leading German scorer in the Premier League.
He has 46 goals, one more than former Man City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan.
So in the space of five days, Arsenal have been eliminated by fourth-tier opposition in the League Cup at Fleetwood and then won at arguably the toughest ground to visit in England.
"This is the magical thing about football," Arteta said. "It's so unpredictable, the next result."
